Government Offices have a key role in delivering the Government’s vision that everyone should live in a decent home. Housing is the policy responsibility of Communities and Local Government, and the Government Offices work to deliver a number of the Department’s housing targets in the regions. They use their local knowledge both to work with a range of partners to promote and improve understanding of the Government’s housing policy and to influence the development of new housing initiatives.
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In Housing, the role of the Government Office for London is primarily work with local authorities and other partners towards achieving the Government's vision that everyone should live in a decent home in a sustainable community where people are healthy and enjoy a good quality of life and environment.
Government Office for London also provided the Chair and secretariat support for the London Housing Board which was tasked with agreeing London’s housing priorities (set out in the Capital Homes: London Housing Strategy 2005-16) and making recommendations to Ministers for the allocation of the London Regional Housing Pot. The responsibilities of the London Housing Board passed to the Mayor of London in September 2006.
We are also working with London local authorities to help them meet the Government’s target to have all social rented homes reaching the Decent Homes standard by 2010. Our teams work with the Community Housing Taskforce to support London boroughs in preparation of Stock Options Appraisals (SOA) and agreeing a programme for signing off those options appraisals by July 2005. Where an SOA is not required (because a local authority already has plans in place or is on one of the Housing ALMO/Stock Transfer or PFI programmes) we continue to support London boroughs on a local, regional and sub regional level.
Day to day work for our housing teams includes helping London boroughs to bring their housing strategies and HRA business plans to a "fit for purpose" standard, allocating and monitoring the Disabled Facilities Grant programme. On a wider regeneration and neighbourhood renewal issues our housing teams also work with local authorities in a range of areas most notably on New Deal for Communities programmes, Local Strategic Partnerships and Local Area Agreements.
Amongst our key housing partners in London are:
- Greater London Authority
- London Councils
- London Housing Federation
- London Development Agency
- Housing Corporation
- London Tenants Federation
- English Partnerships
- House Builders Federation.
